1 00:00:01,960 --> 00:00:07,280 Speaker 1: But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth 2 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 1: the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble James four six. 3 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: Dear Heavenly Father, we come to you in humble supplication, 4 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: acknowledging your grace and mercy. You have called us to 5 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:31,640 Speaker 1: resist the spirit of pride and remain in a state 6 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:36,599 Speaker 1: of humility at all times. We seek to be humbled 7 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:42,840 Speaker 1: before you, recognizing our many sins and shortcomings. We desire 8 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:48,040 Speaker 1: your grace and mercy in abundance, knowing that it is 9 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:52,479 Speaker 1: only through your love that we can find true peace 10 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:57,160 Speaker 1: and joy. So we thank you for the blessing of 11 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 1: grace that you have given us the opportunity to remain 12 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:06,360 Speaker 1: in a state of humility, having faith that you will 13 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:10,399 Speaker 1: love us in spite of our flaws. We pray for 14 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:15,839 Speaker 1: a spirit of gratitude and thankfulness, knowing that it pleases 15 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: you when we are humble before you. In Jesus' name, Amen, 16 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: Thank you for joining me in prayer. Stay tuned for 17 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 1: today's free podcast Meditative Prayers with Zach Clinton, where you 18 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:34,040 Speaker 1: can draw close to God and find strength in him. 19 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 2: My friends, welcome to your meditative prayer on Grace and gratitude. 20 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:43,280 Speaker 2: To get the most out of your spiritual journey, use 21 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 2: pray dot com every day and make prayer a priority 22 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 2: in your life. Our goal again for today's meditative prayer 23 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:53,720 Speaker 2: is all about grace and gratitude. So now just take 24 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 2: a moment just simply to relax. Maybe find a comfortable 25 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:01,960 Speaker 2: and quiet spot spot where you can completely focus on 26 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 2: this moment of reflection. Close your eyes and take a 27 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 2: deep breath, and as you exhale, release the tension in 28 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 2: your body and in your mind. Today we'll be meditating 29 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:20,760 Speaker 2: on James four verse six from the King James version, 30 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 2: it reads, but he giveth more grace, wherefore he saith, 31 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 2: God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 32 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 2: Now take a moment just to pour out your adoration 33 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 2: to God. God, I praise you for pouring out your 34 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 2: grace upon me. I worship you for giving of yourself 35 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 2: in an unmeasurable way. Father, I praise you for teaching 36 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 2: me humility through your word and wisdom, for correcting me 37 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:54,919 Speaker 2: and loving kindness. And I thank you that you love 38 00:02:55,000 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 2: me and that your grace abounds towards your children. Comes 39 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 2: from God. Grace is unmerited and undeserved favor, and who 40 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 2: can claim exemption from needing grace? No one from salvation 41 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 2: to the mundane. The demand for grace permeates every facet 42 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:17,480 Speaker 2: of life, whether it be in a major or a 43 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 2: minor way. There will always be daily situations where grace 44 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:26,520 Speaker 2: will be required. Although the application of grace is multifold, 45 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 2: there is only one source, God, and the requisite for 46 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:36,360 Speaker 2: grace with God is simple humility. No matter who you are, 47 00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 2: if you wish to obtain grace, you must be humble. 48 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 2: Then this can be a challenge, for humility is not 49 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 2: a default standard of humanity, but instead pride is. Pride 50 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:51,840 Speaker 2: is an ever present threat to the human heart. Pride 51 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 2: lurks in the deep corners of the mind, disguises itself 52 00:03:55,440 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 2: as self confidence, and dwells within presumption. Pride is easy 53 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:05,040 Speaker 2: to possess and hard to dispose of, whereas humility must 54 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 2: be sought after. Humility must be wanted and pursued. It 55 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 2: must be cultivated constantly. It is achieved through obedience to 56 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:19,520 Speaker 2: God's word, through spiritual discipline manifested in your daily choices. 57 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:23,359 Speaker 2: My friends, let us now reflect for a moment on 58 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:27,119 Speaker 2: the areas of your heart that need tending to those 59 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:29,920 Speaker 2: thoughts and actions that maybe don't align with God's word, 60 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 2: actions motivated by selfish desires and based on human arrogance. 61 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 2: This is your opportunity to present yourself before the Lord, 62 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 2: to set aside your pride, and to confess your sins 63 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 2: to God, to give him your arrogance and your presumption. 64 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:52,600 Speaker 2: So be honest before God right now and invite Him 65 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:55,440 Speaker 2: into the areas of your heart where his humility and 66 00:04:55,520 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 2: his meekness do not reign. Now take a moment just 67 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:04,919 Speaker 2: to dwell on previous blessings of grace that you have enjoyed. 68 00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 2: Grace over your past endeavors and your goals, Grace for 69 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:13,159 Speaker 2: all situations and in all manners of relationships. Thank God 70 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:15,840 Speaker 2: for the doors his favor has opened in your life, 71 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:18,680 Speaker 2: His favor that goes before you and makes a way 72 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:22,520 Speaker 2: in the wilderness. Give thanks for the opportunities granted to 73 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:27,080 Speaker 2: you that you didn't deserve. Times when you failed, but God, 74 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 2: in his mercy still blessed your efforts. And thank God 75 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:34,280 Speaker 2: for all the past manifestations of His goodness in your 76 00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:38,240 Speaker 2: life and for the ones still to come. Do not 77 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 2: forget God is present, and he is listening to you. 78 00:05:43,279 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 2: God said he'd give grace to the humble. So ask 79 00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:50,040 Speaker 2: God to teach you humility. Ask him to remove all 80 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:52,719 Speaker 2: the things in your heart that hinder you from his grace. 81 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:57,640 Speaker 2: Pray for a tender heart toward God's voice and correction. 82 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:02,000 Speaker 2: Pray for a heart filled with his spirit, a heart 83 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 2: that will desire to obey and to love the Lord. 84 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:07,520 Speaker 2: A heart that will depend on God's strength and not 85 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:10,360 Speaker 2: its own. A heart that will submit to God and 86 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:12,919 Speaker 2: receive all he has to give. And a heart that 87 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:18,359 Speaker 2: is pleasing unto the Lord and is filled with his favor. Remember, 88 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 2: God is against the proud, but he gives grace to 89 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:26,800 Speaker 2: the humble. So strive towards humility with all that is 90 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:30,479 Speaker 2: within you. Strive to yield to the Holy Spirit and 91 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:34,479 Speaker 2: to depend on him. To recognize that your blessings and 92 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 2: your victory come not from your own strength, but from 93 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:41,760 Speaker 2: the strength of the Lord. Choose this day to reject 94 00:06:41,839 --> 00:06:45,440 Speaker 2: all pride and arrogance. Choose to be meek and to 95 00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 2: be obedient to God's word. Choose to seek him and 96 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:52,640 Speaker 2: to receive God's grace in every area of your life 97 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 2: this day and always, my friends, thank you for completing 98 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:01,880 Speaker 2: today's meditative prayer on Pray to Die. By incorporating this 99 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:04,440 Speaker 2: healthy habit as a daily practice, you are making prayer 100 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 2: priority and strengthening your walk with God. As always, my 101 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:11,960 Speaker 2: name is Zach Clinton, Vice President of the American Association 102 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:14,840 Speaker 2: of Christian Counselors, and we love being a part of 103 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:15,360 Speaker 2: your life.